Auxiliary pedal attachment



June 28, 1960 Filed June 4, 1958 L.` B. BARTH AUXILIARY PEDAL ATTACHMENT 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIEZE lNvENToR.

arf/ER B. BARTH June 28, 1960 Filed June 4, 1958 L. B. BARTH AUXILIARY PEDAL ATTACHMENT 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 JNVENTOR. arf/ER B. ARTA/ nited State 'lhisinvention relates to an-auxiliary aeceleratorpeda'l. Such apedalfisiintended to be used particularly in vehicles having automatic Atransmissions and wherein normally only the Ause of theright foot is required for the operation ofthe vehicle. When long trips are undertaken the right foot/ tires from ,constant use andthe left foot tires and becomes restless from inactivityor lackof use. Slt is .desirabletojhave some means therefore whereby.the relative use Aof therig'ht and left foot is equalized so that eitherjfoot maybewused alternately as may be desired by. theoperator to operate the accelerator pedal.

'It is also desirableto have such ,an auxiliary .pedal attachment as above indicated which Jmay be easilylremovable 'from a vehicle whenitsppresence is notdesired, such as in city driving. It is desirable to have such an attachment which may be quickly and easily installed whenlits use is desired, jsuch as in going on a trip some length.

It is an object of this .invention therefore to vprovide an auxiliary pedal attachment for a motor vehicle .which will permit the .use of either :foot ofthe operator'to operate the accelerator pedal.

It is a further object ,of this invention to provide an auxiliary pedal attachment which maypbe ,quickly .and easily installed in operatingposition in a vehiclejwithout any tools beingV required for such installation.

Itis a further object of vthis invention -toprnfide,an auxiliary pedal attachment which may easily Abepositioned in an inoperative position without the removalof Vsaid attachmentfrom the vehicle -and withoutj'theuse of, any tools.

It is Va more specific objecty of this invention to provide an auxiliary pedal attachment for avmotor vehiclehavng a pedal clamp adapted tobe slidingly positioned onto an accelerator pedal Vwith a rocker arm beingjournaled at -oneiendin said clamp land extending across' thetlooryof lsaid-vehicle, a lplate memberieasily Yattacha'oleA to the door Vpad of a motor vehicle having `an .upstanding portion adapted -to have the'other end ,of .said rockergafrmjour- `naled-therein,tan auxiliary 'pedal pivotally mountedfon said rocker arm adjacent said, plate rnember,.and `means Vsecured to'said rocker arm adapted' to be engaged Vby said auxiliary-pedal whensaid;auxi liary pedal -is depressed,

'whereby said` auxiliary`pedal, rocker arm 'and accelerator pedal become an integralpperative unit.

fWith lreference'to the mprevious object, itvisn'also an object of. this inventionvtohave said auxiliary pedl'freeIy movable Y,pivotable rearwardly .on said rocker u .arm-so thatitmay be easilypositioned:substantially tiaton-the iioonof. lthe vehicle in` anout off theewayposition.

.It :is also. i an object y.of this ,invention to provide aan auxiliary l.pedal fa-ttachrnent :whereby g saidauxiliary pedal rmaysbe.- spaced :in certain ydiierent :positions A'in irelation .to fthe.. acceleratorgpedal.

f :"Ehesefvandnother,iobjects and @advantages ,of '-the; inven- :tion: fwillebefifully set` forthein the 'folrlowing description madef ini-:connection cwith the accompanying 'drawings ofV 2342.493 Patented .lune 2S, i950 J"ice in which like reference characters refer tofsimilar parts throughout the several views andin which:

Fig'. l is ajperspective'view showing applicants device Fig. 2 isa viewin vertical section on yan enlarged Vscale taken on line Z-Ziof `A1 as rindicated by thearrows;

` Fig 3 is atop'planview'on an Venlarged'scaleof a portion 'of'applicantsdevice taken on line'r3 -3 ofFig. 2 asfindicated bythe arrows'with aportion thereof'shown in section;l

VFig.4 is'aview similar'to Eigu3 on a somewhat smaller scale showing aportioni'the'r'eof in a different position; Fig. `5 isa view in vertical section VVon yan enlargedzscale taken on 1ine5-` 5-of-Fig. h3 vas iridicatetl by the'arrows; Figl 6 isa-bottom planiview'of `a portion of applicantfs device .on anenlarged scale; i I

Fig. 7 is a top planview on a l somewhatenlarged scale showing a modification of a portion'of'applicants vice; `and Fig. 8 is a view-in partial section taken on vlines-f8 of.'Fig. 7 Aas indicated bythe arrows.

Fig. Lmabroken :away portionv of the floor ofI a motor vehicle is indicatedgenerallyby the character 10. fThis will represent a substantial jportion of theoor e of a vehicle under the dashboard and' in advance-'of the ldrivers seat.v A pad 11 s'indicated as overlying said "floor" portion. -Said floor'jpads are variously made, such as being comprised Vof a heavyrubberl sheet material, oriinfsornle vehicles.. said rad, may be .formed .as .a ,heavy fue LA brake pedal 12j is indicatedin its normal operating position. Somewhat `to 'the' right 'of Asaid brake pedall v12 there 'is' indicated an accelerator pedal 15 'pivotally {secured` to said-'floor 1 0by aghinge 16. YSaid`accelerator pedalis-positioned asgbeing angled somewhat to theright as'viewed in"Fig.- l, `'and normalinoperative positior'rit will be at anangled-'relationtothefiioor of the vehicle. There tis adequate spacefbetweenlfs'aid pedal andthe floor of the vehicle to permitsaid pe'dalvto-bel'depressed to accelerate themotoroffsaidvehicle. i

rocker arm Y2! is indicatedinjFig. V1` in 'operating position. Said rocker arm may'be.,variouslygforniedfbilt isfindicated here va's -being made -of la rod-like member having/some transversethiekness `rand having substantial length. i Onee'd4 portion vo'f's'aid 'rocker arm 20 is angled Vdownwardlyto4V form a leg 2.1.y YSaid le'g21 willibebent to be parallel to the adjacent side of'said n pedal 315 fand will-be in close-'proximity thereto.

AA pedal clamp 22 is provided Vadapted to removably is disposedpthrough the lower end portion of saidilegjZlLk to holdsa-id'leg .21Vv and said bearing 23 in operative engagement. Y

'A iloor gripping plate mem-ber 28,will be located adjacent'the other end of said rocker arm 20. Said plate member may -be'vario'usly formed, but in the embodiment of the invention here'pres'ented it isindicated as .having fa substantially rectangular rear end portion'29 vand a ,front Y vend portion v25.0 having inclined sides. There is no particular significance attached to the specic general form vof said plate member. VVarious forms of fastening vrneansf `may be used to secure saidV plate member 28Lto the floor 'padlll of a motor vehicle. A downwardly forwardly extendingoiffset-pingZ'is PlQvided atthe'forward end ofsaid vplate member f28.'-Said plate member 2S hasan aperture 33 through which said pin 32 extends downwardly therethrough with the upper portion of said pin being secured to the upper surface of said plate 28 by a plate bracket 35 formed here by being punched out of said plate member 28. At the other end portion of said plate member 28 spaced bearings 38 and 39 are formed at either side thereof with said bearings being laterally 4spaced away from the central portion of said plate member 28. A bail 40 1s provided substantially U-shaped in form and having its free end portions bent inwardly at right angles in the plane of said bail to be respectively journaled in said bearings 38 and 39. Said free end portions are then bent downwardly at right angles to the plane of said bail and again bent at right angles to extend outwardly rearwardly substantially in the plane of said bail, with saidoffset portions having sharpened ends and forming hooks 41 and 42. Thus it is seen that when said bail 40 is pivoted upwardly, said hooks 41 and 42 are retracted from their extended positions. A clip 45 is shown here as being pressed out of said plate 28 to be frictionally engaged by said bail 40 to securely hold said bail in operating position with said hooks 41 and 42. in extended position. Figs. 2 and4 respectively show said hooks 41 and 42 in operating and in retracted positions. Spaced anges 50 and 51 are here shown as being struck out of said plate member 28 and bent toward each other. A right-angled upstanding bracket 53 has a at base portion 54 disposed between said iianges 50 and 51. Said bracket 53 has an upstanding portion 56 having an aperture 58 in said upstanding portion. A somewhat V-shaped spring member 60 is formed in said plate member 28 by having it struck from said plate member at three sides and being engaged to said plate member at its end remote from said flanges 50 and 51, as indicated in Fig. 3. Said spring member 60 will have some resilience and will be somewhat raised-in normal position to engage the rear side of said upstanding bracket 53 to hold the same in locked position between said flanges 50 and 51. Said raised operating position of said spring 60 is indicated in Fig. 5. Said bracket 53 is quickly and easily removed by slightly depressing sai spring 60 and sliding said bracket thereover.

Said rocker arm 20 will be disposed through said aperture 58 in the upstanding portion of said bracket 53.

Adapted to be pivotally mounted on said rocker arm 20 is an auxiliary pedal 65. Said pedal may be variously formed and is here indicated as being made of rigid sheet material having a body portion 66 having a substantially rounded forward end portion. Depending at either side of said pedal 65 are walls 67 and 68 inclined upwardly to merge with said body portion adjacent the front end portion of said pedal.

A central portion at the rear of said pedal 65 is pressed downwardly to form an intermediate depending wall 70. Said wall 70 is in a plane parallel to said walls 67 and 68. Rear portions of said pedal 65 are cut back and turned upwardly to form upstanding walls 72. With reference to Fig. 1, said walls 72 are formed in a plane parallel to the axis of said rocker arm 20 and inclined at an angle to the right of the central longitudinal axis of said pedal 65 whereby in operating position said pedal will be disposed at an angle as indicated.

The rear end portions of Walls 67, 68 and 70 respectively have apertures 72, 73 and 74 therein `to have said rocker arm 20 disposed therethrough. Said apertures 72, 73 and 74 respectively are in alignment centered about an axis parallel to the plane of said upstanding walls 75. A small tab 69 extends outwardly at one side of said pedal for manipulation of said pedal.

Means are provided for coordinating said pedal 65 and said rocker arm 20 into an integral operative unit when 4 1 Said locking member 80 is here indicated as being substantially parallelepiped in form and has at one side thereof a set screw extending therethrough adapted to engage said rocker arm 20 to immovably secure said locking member and said rocker arm together into an integral unit. Said set screw is shown having a substantial sized head portion which will extend outwardly sutiiciently to be substantially engaged by a portion of said pedal 65 adjacent thereto, as indicated in Fig. 2.

In operation, said plate member 28 will rst be secured to the floor pad 11 in a desirable position in relation to the accelerator pedal 15. The bail 40 is raised to retract the A teeth 41 and 42. The forwardly positioned tooth 32 will be securingly disposed into said pad 11. With said bail 40 in raised position, said teeth 41 and 42 will be substantially in a 'vertical position and will be pushed downwardly into and through said pad 11. Said bail 40 is then lowered to be locked in position by said locking member or clip 45. The downward movement of said bail 40 extends said teeth 41 and 42 outwardly of said plate member 28 to have a good gripping engagement with said pad 11.

Next said clamp 22 will be slidingly positioned onto pedal 15 and will resiliently engage the same. The rocker arm 20 will have its free end portion extending over said plate 28. Then said auxiliary pedal 65, bracket 53, and locking means 80 are mounted on said rocker arm 20. Said bracket 53 will have its upstanding portion adjacent said depending wall of said pedal 65. Said locking means will be positioned adjacent said upstanding portion 56 of said bracket 53 at its side remote from said depending wall 70. Said pedal 65, bracket 53, and locking means will be longitudinally positioned on said rocker arm 20 to be properly centered over said plate member 28. The base portion 54 of said bracket 53 is then moved into position to be engaged by the flanges 50 and 51. Said spring member.60 will removably hold said bracket in position. Said set screw 82 in said locking means 80 will then be tightened with said set screw in such radial position in relation to said rocker arm 20 that when said pedal 65 is moved forwardly 'and downwardly it will be engaged by said set screw while in a suitable elevated position. Further movement forward from this point will cause said pedal to rotate said rocker arm 20 and at the same time move said accelerator pedal 15 forwardly into operating position.

When the operator does not desire to use said auxiliary pedal 65, as for city driving, he may engage said tab 69 with the edge of his shoe and ip said pedal 65 rearwardly so that it will rest in an out of the way position in a substantially at position on said floor 10.

To remove applicants device altogether, all that is necessary is that said spring60 be depressed and said bracket 53 slid to the left, with reference to Fig. l, out of and away from said flanges 50 and 51. At the same time said clamp 22 will slidingly move to the left out of engagement with said pedal 15. This portion of applicants device is then removed 4as a unit. Said plate member 28 may be left in position on the floor of the motor vehicle or it may be very quickly and easily removed simply by raising the bail 40, whereupon the teeth 32, 41 and 42 of said plate member 28 will be easily disengaged from said pad 11.

A modified plate member 85 is shown in Figs. 7 and `8. Said plate member 85 is very simply constructed comprising a circular body portion 86 of rigid sheet material somewhat concave in vertical section to have a shallow recess formed thereunder. A fastening means 87, here indicated as being a straight pin of a somewhat resilient character, is secured to the underside of said said pedal is depressed for acceleration of the motor of body portion 86 adjacent the periphery thereof. A substantially rectangular opening 88 is present in the central portion of said plate member having an inwardly extending ear 89 at one end thereof. A wall 90 of short height is formed at the other end of said opening with an aperture through said wall adjacent the surface of said aprende body por'tion 86. An arm"92 is pivc'ate'dbya rivet 94 to said body'portionfS-andhas=an-'=ear96 formed at itsfree end adapted to be disposed throughfsa'id aper- Itured 'wallfto extend inwardly of said? opening r88. VlSaid arm 92- hastan upstandingv portion-97fformingza tabby `.which'it canrbe readily moved. Y

An upstanding bracketv '1G70 4is adapteduto beremovably secured onto said plate 85 having a base portion 101 to be `disposed in said opening 88 and engaged by said ears 89 and 96. Said bracket has upstanding spaced walls 105 and `106 similar in form to said wall 56 and apertured at their upper end portions to have said rocker arm 20 disposed therethrough.

In operation, said plate 85 will be substituted for said plate 28 and in all other respects applicants device is operated in the same manner.

Thus it is seen that I have provided a very simply constructed, easily installed, and easily removed auxiliary pedal attachment. Said pedal attachment is adapted to be positioned in an out of the way place when its use is not desired and when it is not `desired to remove the same entirely. Applicants device is adapted for easy positioning to accommodate any certain operator and has proved to be very successful in actual operation.

It will of course be understood that various changes may be made in the form, details, arrangement and proportions of the parts, without departing from the scope of applicants invention, which, generally stated, consists in a device capable of carrying out the objects above set forth, in the parts and combinations of parts disclosed and defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. An auxiliary accelerator pedal attachment for automotive vehicles having a primary accelerator pedal pivotally mounted on the floor of a vehicle and extending upwardly therefrom at an angle to said door and a flexible pad on said floor having in combination, a rocker arm extending substantially across the floor of said vehicle, a leg formed at one end of said rocker arm, a U-shaped accelerator pedal clamp adapted to be slidingly disposed over said pedal and forming a journal bearing for said leg, a bracket having a hand operable retractable gripping means adapted to be removably secured to said oor pad of said vehicle, said rocker arm having its other end slidably journaled in said bracket, an auxiliary pedal removably pivotally attached to said other end of said rocker arm, a locking means secured on said rocker arm, said locking means adapted to be operatively engaged by said auxiliary pedal when said pedal is moved forwardly to rotate said rocker arm and depress said first mentioned pedal whereby said auxiliary pedal becomes operationally integral with said rocker arm andsaid first mentioned pedal and said auxiliary pedal is freely movable alone rearwardly'on said rocker arm to be positioned in a substantially flat position on the oor of said vehicle to be out of the way of the operator thereof.

2. The structure set forth in claim 1, said bracket comprising a substantially fiat plate member having a plurality of floor pad gripping teeth carried thereby, means for retracting and extending certain of said teeth to removably anchor said bracket in said oor pad of said vehicle.

3. The struct-ure set forth in claim l, said bracket having a pair of spaced facing anges thereon struck there from and reversely bent in directions toward one another, an upstanding right-angled bracket having a base portion slidable between said flanges, a fiat spring struck from said first bracket having a somewhat raised free end adjacent the ends at one side of said ianges for Vremovably holding said second bracket in operating position, said upstanding portion of said second bracket being apertured to form a bearing for said rocker arm.

4. The structure set forth in claim l, said auxiliary pedal having spaced apertured depending ears for receivfing. said rocker arm'therethrogh,-and inclined Y'Walls' at eithenside f said pedal formed by forwar'dly extending edgeiportionsf said earsr-to'lfo'rm acentral recess in Lthe'rear portion of said .pedal to accomxddate 'lsaid second mentioned bracket andsidlockig means.

5. An auxiliary accelerator pedal attachment for automotive vehicles having a primary accelerator pedal pivot- Y ally mounted on the oor of a vehicle and extending upwardly therefrom at an angle to said iioor and a ilexible pad on said oor having in combination, a rocker arm extending substantially across the floor of said vehicle, a leg formed at one end of said rocker arm adjacent said pedal of said vehicle and extending at an angle to be parallel to the adjacent side of said pedal, a U-shaped pedal clamp pivoted to said leg and adapted to be slidingly disposed onto said pedal above the pivot connection of said pedal to the floor of said vehicle, a substantially flat oor pad gripping plate member adjacent the other end of said rocker arm, said plate memberhaving a plurality of oor pad gripping teeth carried thereby, a bail member pivoted to said plate member having certain of said teeth integral therewith' whereby said teeth are retractable and extendable to be removably disposed in said floor pad, a pair of flanges struck from said plate member to form a channel and a third flange at right angles thereto to form a locking member, a bracket removably secured by said flanges and having an upstanding apertured portion forming a bearing to receive therethrough said other end portion of said rocker arm, anrauxilary pedal having apertured spaced depending ears at the rear end portion thereof adapted to have said rocker arm extend therethrough for positioning said auxiliary pedal on said rocker arm, said upstanding portion of said bracket being positioned on said rocker arm adjacent said auxiliary pedal, a locking member secured on said rocker arm -in operative relationship to said pedal to be engaged by said pedal when said pedal is depressed forwardly, whereby when said auxiliary pedal is depressed said rocker arm is rotated therewith and said first mentioned pedal is accordingly depressed to accelerate the engine of said vehicle, and said auxiliary pedal is freely pivotable rearwardly alone to lie in a substantially flat position on the oor of said vehicle out of the way of said operator of said vehicle.

6. An auxiliary accelerator pedal attachment for automotive vehicles having a primary accelerator pedal pivotally mounted on the floor of a vehicle and extending upwardly therefrom Vat an angle to said floor and a flexy ible pad on said door having in combination, a rocker arm extending substantially across theV floor of said vehicle, a leg formed lat `one end of said rocker arm adjacent said pedal of said |vehicle and extending at lan angle to be parallel to -the adjacent `side oflsaid pedal, a U-sliaped pedal clamp pivotedtoy said leg ,and adapted to be slidingly disposed onto said pedal :above the pivot, connection of said pedal to the licor of said vehicle, a`

substantially flat floor pad gripping plate member adjacent the other end of said rocker arm, said plate member ycomprising `an open-ended pin disposed therebeneath adapted to be` removably secured in said licor pad, a bracket on said plate having an apertured upstanding portion, said bracket having a substantially flat base por-V tion, a pair of ears carried by said plate for engaging said base portion, one of said ears being pivotally retractable for easy disengagement of said bracket from said plate member, an auxiliary pedal having apertured spaced depending ears -at the rear end portion thereof adapted -to have said rocker arm extend therethrough for positioning said auxiliary pedal on said rocker armfsaid upstanding portion of said bracket being positioned on said 'rocker arm adjacent said auxiliarypedal, a locking member secured on said rocker arm in operative relationship to said pedal when said pedal is depressed forwardly, whereby when said auxiliary pedal is depressed said rocker arm is rotated therewith and said rst men- Li tioned pedal is accordingly depressed to accelerate the engine of said vehicle, and said auxiliary pedal is freely pivotable vrearwardly alone to lie in a substantially flat position on -the oor of said vehicle out of the way of said operator of said vehicle. i

. References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Brandt Aug. 7, 1934 Venditty Sept. 25, 1956 

